Organizations

Plants, seeds of All-America Selections winners to be immediately available

By Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, on January 16th, 2010

'Twinny Peach' snapdragon. All photos courtesy All-America Selections

All-America Selections has changed its introduction schedule of new plants for gardeners.

Effective this year, the flowers and vegetables declared AAS Winners will be available through all distribution channels, from breeder to grower to retailer to consumer at the time of their announcement. In the past, it sometimes took years for the winners to work their way to the consumer because seed may have been in short supply or other factors.

Popular AAS winners from the past include ‘Lady in Red’ salvia, ‘Siam Queen’ basil and ‘Big Beef’ tomato.

'Moonsong Deep Orange' marigold.

Each AAS Winner has been grown and evaluated for several seasons in trial gardens throughout the United States. Besides new, unusual or improved attributes, the plants must meet the new availability standards, said Diane Blazek, the newly appointed executive director of All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau. (See below for AAS Display Gardens in Indiana.)

The changes are in response to concerns raised by consumers and garden writers about the lack of availability of some of the winners, she said.

'Endurio Sky Blue Martien' viola.

In another change for the organization, AAS winners will be announced three times a year rather than all at one, Blazek said. Look for announcements in late fall, winter and summer.

Here’s a list of this year’s winners. Seeds or plants should be available this spring in garden centers and mailorder or online retailers. If you don’t find it in your favorite printed catalog, check its online listing because the plants may have been announced too late for publication, she said.